LIAM GALLAGHER
KNEBWORTH-22 (Live Album)
9/10
Live albums have the opportunity to be legendary time capsules that capture a moment in musical history, and Liam Gallagher’s ‘Knebworth-22’ ticks all those boxes. Vibrations of anticipation turn into roars of delight as Gallagher opens up with a designed-to-please opening duo of ‘Hello’ and the raspily delivered ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’. The Stella and fruit cider-fuelled pilgrimage nostalgia-hungry hordes get a happy hour mix of Oasis and solo cuts. ‘Wall Of Glass’, ‘Shock Wave’ and ‘Everything’s Electric’ are all pounced upon before ‘Slide Away’ is volleyed back ‘n forth between the crowd and band. The last proper lad star of the Brit Pop generation has a choir to help him sneer through the made-for-mid-set stadium gigs. ‘More Power’ while ‘The River’ swirls between multiple musical islands before floating away on an Oasis raft made of late-night dog ends, kebab wrappers and full-fat coke cans. The anthems flow as ‘Once’ is held aloft like Simba in a parka before seventy thousand lose their collective shit as a slurry ‘Cigarettes And Alcohol’ lights the fuse on the kind of ending that will be spoken about for decades to come.
The encores begin with a celebratory ‘Some Might Say’ before the timeless riff to ‘Supersonic’ is married with Liam’s maturer punched-out delivery, which is his and his alone. ‘Who wants Wonderwall” is a pretty cool intro, and while it may be one of Oasis’s biggest hits, it falls slightly flat, but it doesn’t stop the crowd bellowing the chorus back, ‘Biblical, Biblical”, says Liam, mmm. Finally, a climatic ‘Champagne Supernova’ sends the masses heading into the type of journey home usually reserved for John Candy and Steve Martin. Liam Gallagher doesn’t need Noel or Oasis to sell out two nights at Knebworth but make no mistake, if they want to play to one hundred and seventy thousand caps, they’ll definitely need him.
‘Knebworth 22’ is released on August 11th.
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